IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


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CIHM/tCMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/iCMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


4 


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raproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  changa 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


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D 


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Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagte 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurie  et/ou  peiliculAe 


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10X 

14X 

18X 

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MX 

30X 

7 

12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


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or  illustrated  impression. 


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filmage. 

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derniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
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premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
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la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  dee  symboles  sulvants  apparaltra  sur  la 
dernlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  -~^  signlfle  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signlfle  "FIN". 


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right  end  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
fiimfo  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  §tre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  11  est  fllm6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  drolte, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'Images  n^cessalre.  Les  diagrammes  sulvants 
iilustrent  la  m^thode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

DELIV 


O] 


BY 
PASTOI 


SVBLIi 


DISCOURSE 


»  ^  '.?> 


DELIVERED  AT  CAMBRIDGE 


^fl.riii>l 


/'r-' 


IN  THE  HBAKINS 


OF  THE  UNIVERSITY 


■  m, 


.  mm 


APRIL  8,  1810. 


( -:■,  V 


^    BY  DAVID  OSGOOD,  D.D. 

PASTOR  OP  THE  CHURCH  IN  MEDTORD. 


CAMBRIDGE  : 

BUBIISHED    BT   WILMAM    HILLIA&B. 
£.  W.  Metcalf,  printer. 

1810. 


'ir.: 


■f"\..i  l 


'  'ii' 


■*  .  * 


Harvard  Uhiversiti/f  April  9, 1810. 

ll£V.  SIR, 

PURSUANT  to  a  vote  of  the  students  of  the 
University y  we  have  the  honour  to  express  to  you  the 
high  satis/action  with  which  they  yesterday  heard  your 
impressive  and  valuable  discourse  ;  and,  in  their  name, 
to  request  thefwour  of  a  copy  for  publication. 

Accept,   Sir,  the  assurances  of  our  high  respect 
and  esteem* 


SAMiTEL  FISHER 
GEORGE  MOREY, 
GEORGE  HOMER 
JOHN  A.  HAVEN 


Eev.  Dr.  Osgood. 


Committa. 


<ij 


.is  J 


DISCOURSE. 


i^<» 


II  SAMUEL  XV.  6. 

— So  Absalom  stole  the  hearts  of  the  men  of  Israel. 

W  HEN  we  think  of  the  character  of  David,  the 
wisdom  iand  rectitude  of  his  government  and  the  unex- 
ampled happiness  and  prosperity  of  his  subjects  during 
his  reign ;  the  success  of  Absalom  in  exciting  so  general 
a  revolt  and  drawing  over  to  the  side  of  rebellion,  so  vast 
a  majority  of  the  people,  is  an  event  seemingly  unaccoun- 
table* From  his  early  youth  David  had  shown  himself 
the  first  of  heroes  and  the  first  of  patriots.  His  splendid 
achievements  during  the  reign  of  Saul,  had  spread  his 
fame  throughout  the  nation  :  All  Israel  and  Judah  hved 
Urn,  After  a  long  series  of  the  severest  trials,  by  the  suf- 
frages of  the  whole  nation,  as  well  as  by  the  appointment 
of  God>  be  was  made  king  over  all  the  tribes.  Being 
thus  invested  with  the  government,  he  speedily  freed  the 
nation  from  every  foreign  ydte,  and  amply  avenged  eve- 
ry hostile  aggression.  He  never  lost  a  battle,  nor  failed 
of  success  in  any  expedition.  His  arms  were  constantly 
and  every  where  triumpliant.  He  humbled  and  subdu- 
ed, not  the  Philistines  only,  but,  the  Ammonites,  Moab- 
ites,  Edomites,  Syrians,  and  all  the  former  enemies  of  Is« 
rael.  His  subjects  saw  all  the  neighbouring  nations  who 
had  hitherto  so  often  oppressed  th^m  and,  at  all  times, 
had  been  thorns  in  their  sides,  now  made  tributaries  to 
them.  The  wealth  of  the  adjacent  countries  centred  in 
theland  of  Israel. 


i'l 


I. 


i;:ir 


l)h'. 


.  u 


*  ••■11..  ■ 
."'  .■»'■ 


■!  *  iM 


III 

M#  ■ 
ill 


<•  ■' 


4i^ 


In  the  civil  administration  of  his  government,  Davidl 
fed  the  people  in  the  integrity  of  his  hearty  and  guided  thenA 
by  the  ski/fulness  of  his  hands.    Being  justy  he  ruled  w| 
the  fear  of  God  ;  and  tlie  Iseneficial  influences  of  his  ad- 
ministration  were  as  the  light  of  the  morning  when  the\ 
sun  is  rising  ;  and  his  people  flourished  under  them  like 
the  tender  grass  springing  up  under  the  warm  showers 
of  heaven.    He  adored  the  divine  constitution  of  his  coun. 
try,  and  regulated  its  affairs  with  a  scrupulous  conformi.  | 
ty  to  its  institutions.     His  heart  glowed  with  the  love  of  I 
God  and  of  his  law ;  and  he  so  arranged  the  forms  of  pub* 
lie  worship  as  to  give  them  all  the  beauty  of  holiness.  No 
people  before  or  since,  were  ever  more  prosperous  and 
happy,  than  the  Israelites  were  at  the  very  time  when  they 
conspired  with  an  impious  son,  to  depose  and  murder  the 
best  of  kings  and  the  most  indulgent  of  fathers. 

The  text  assures  us  that  this  cliange  in  their  affections, 
was  not  occasioned  by  any  motives  of  reason,  any  con. 
siderations  which  honor  or  honesty,  which  wisdom  or 
goodness  could  approve.  Absalom  stole  the  hearts  of  the 
men  of  Israel — as  a  thief  acts  against  all  the  rules  of  truth 
and  justice,  so,  by  the  vilest  intrigues,  lies,  and  flatteries, 
Absalom  attached  to  himself,  the  hearts  of  the  people. 
So  Absalom  stole,  refers  to  the  preceding  description  of 
these  his  wicked  arts  of  deception.  The  history  insinu* 
ates  that  his  success  was  facilitated  by  the  engaging  com^ 
liness  of  his  person  and  its  exterior  graces,  his  form  be* 
ing  so  perfect  iti»t,from  the  sole  of  his  foot  to  the  crown  of 
his  head,  there  was  rio  blemish  in  him.  In  the  choice  of  a 
king  among  the  ancient  i£thiopians,  **  the  face  availed 
much,"  says  Lucretius.  Many  in  every  nation,  are  lia- 
ble to  be  prepossessed  by  a  beautiful  outside.    Even  the 


prophet  Samuel,  when  he  looked  on  Eliab,  said,  surely 
theLord^s  anointed  is  before  him.  Undoubtedly  Absa- 
lom's beauty,  aided  by  his  polished  manners  and  master- 
ly address,  had  its  influence  among  the  less  discerning 
part  of  the  people. 

Having  attracted  general  admiration  and  become  ex- 
tremely popular,  in  concert  with  Ahitophel,  the  Machia- 
vel  of  the  age,  he  secretiy  resolved  upon  his  nefarious 
design ;  and  in  its  prosecution,  left  no  arts  of  seduction 
unattempted.  For  a  long  time,  it  was  his  practice  to  rise 
early  every  morning,  and  throwing  himself  in  the  way  of 
all  those  who,  from  any  of  the  tribes,  had  any  business  at 
court,  or  any  controversy  depending  upon  regal  deci- 
sion, he  accosted  each  individual  with  the  most  conde- 
scending affability,  entered  into  familiar  conversation  widi 
them,  inquired  from  what  city  or  tribe  they  came  ?  then 
reiiarking  upon  their  business,  lamented  that  he  was  not 
authorized  to  hear  their  cause,  and  implicitly  censured 
his  father's  government  as  negligent  of  the  public  good 
in  withholding  from  the  people  the  rich  services  which 
he  would  be  glad  to  render  them  in  the  capacity  of  judge. 
As  often  as  any  jjerson  noticed  him,  or  made  obeisance 
to  him ;  immediately  he  took  that  man  by  the  hand,  em- 
braced and  kissed  him.  On  this  manner  did  Absalom  to 
all  Israel  that  came  to  the  king  for  judgment:  and  w, 
by  these  methods,  he  stole  their  hearts. 

His  success  is  a  melancholy  proof  of  the  strange  in- 
fatuation and  blindness  to  which  men  are  liable  with 
respect  to  the  things  pertaining  to  dieir  present  temporal 
peace  and  prosperity :  It  shows  that  die  majority  of  a 
nation,  even  of  a  nation  professing  the  true  religion,  are 
liable  to  be  so  inveigled,  deluded  and  biassed  by  artful 


v.;»i-.|,jl 


Wi ' 


designing  men  as  to  be  brought,  not  only  to  desert,  but 
to  turn  against,  their  truest  friends  and  benefactors; 
withdrawing  from  them  their  confidence  and  placmg  it 
in  the  most  unprincipled  and  profligate  characters ;  and 
at  the  hazard  of  their  lives,  supporting  such  characters 
in  a  long  continued  series  of  crimes,  crimes  tending,  not 
only  to  their  own  reproach,  but  to  their  misery  and  ruin. 
Afler  the  Israelites  had  made  up  their  minds  u\m\ 
the  politics  of  the  day,  and  respectively  chosen  their 
sides ;  we  may  easily  conceive  the  bitterness  and  vim. 
lence  which  the  two  parties,  the  continued  adherents  to 
David  and  the  followers  of  Absalom,  felt  and  expressed 
the  one  towards  the  other.  Of  these  indeed  we  have  a 
specimen  in  the  slanders,  imprecations  and  curses  which 
Shimei  poured  forth  upon  David  to  his  face,  in  the  hear, 
ing  of  all  his  friends.  Come  out,  come  out,  thou  bloody 
matiy  thou  man  of  Belial :  The  Lord  hath  returned  upon 
thee  all  the  blood  of  the  house  of  Saul  in  whose  stead  thou 
tiast  reigned  and  liath  delivered  the  kingdom  into  the  hand 
of  Absalom  thy  son :  and  belwUlt  thou  art  taken  in  thy 
mischief  because  thou  art  a  bloody  man.  In  this  strain, 
we  may  suppose,  all  the  orators  and  emissaries  of  Absa> 
lom  at  every  club-meeting  in  every  city  throughout  the 
tribes,  declaimed  against  David,  depreciating  all  his  vir- 
tues and  good  deeds  and,  at  the  same  time,  equally  ag- 
gravating and  emblazoning  every  mistake,  infirmity  or 
defect  eitlier  in  his  private  character  or  in  his  administra- 
tion of  the  government.  To  these  slanders  David  alludes 
in  the  Psalms  which  he  composed  upon  this  occasion, 
in  which  he  complains,  that  their  tongues  were  drawn 
swords — that  the  poison  of  asps  was  under  their  lipSy  and 
that  they  heaped  iniquity  upon  him. 


.J 


In  this  abuse  of  him,  all  his  known  friends  caiitc  in 
for  their  share.  Those  ministers  of  religion  and  those 
men  of  understanding  and  judgment,  of  fixed  principles 
and  steady  habits,  all  the  Barzillais  throughout  the  coun- 
cry,  who  still  retained  their  loyalty,  were  stigmatized  as 
tories,  friends  to  an  arbitrary  and  unjust  government,  to 
a  cruel  and  bloody  tyranny,  the  supporters  of  a  wicked 
usurper,  of  an  old  vile  adulterer  and  the  atrocious  mur- 
derer of  the  brave  Uriah.  Thousands  and  thousands  lis- 
tened with  the  most  eager  attention  to  the  enchanting  and 
captivating  eloquence  displayed  upon  these  topics ;  and 
had  their  passions  worked  up  to  phrenzy  against  the  ad- 
herents to  such  a  monster  of  wickedness.— Undoubtedly 
the  partisans  of  David  retaliated  in  their  turn,  and  were 
not  sparing  in  applying  to  their  adversaries,  the  appella- 
tions of  rebels,  traitors,  parricides,  miscreants,  unprinci- 
pled disorganizers,  seditious  disturbers  of  the  public 
peace,  and  the  mad  destroyers  of  their  country. — Thus 
the  two  parties  went  on  mutually  revilmg  and  abusing 
each  other  till  the  sword,  drawn  by  brother  against  broth- 
er, father  against  son  and  son  against  father,  decided  tlie 
contest  in  the  slaughter  of  twenty  thousand  of  their 
brethren  in  one  day — all  occasioned  by  the  restless  am- 
bition of  one  man.  We  are  not  to  suppose  that  all  Da- 
vid's adherents  were  men  of  piety,  nor  that  the  followers 
of  Absalom,  were  all  equally  wicked  with  himself.  The 
text  implies  the  contrary ;  their  hearts  being  stoien  by 
Aim,  imports  their  having  been  misled  and  deceived  by 
liis  flattery  and  guile. 

My  hearers,  you  already  anticipate  the  application  of 
these  things  to  the  present  state  of  our  own  country  and 
nation ;  and  perhaps  some  of  you  may  think  that  a  min- 


i'S 


'  («. 


ister  ol'  rcligiou  had  better  forbear  touching  upon  topicji 
with  reference  to  which  different  parties  have  so  deep 
and  quick  a  sensibility.  This  is  the  common  language 
of  the  dominant  party  at  the  present  day ;  but  the  time 
was,  when  the  public  voice  highly  applauded  the  clergy 
of  the  country  for  their  noble  exertions  in  its  political 
concerns.  Their  influence  was  universally  acknowledg- 
ed  and  extolled  in  bringing  about  that  revolution  by 
which  our  independence  and  liberties  were  obtained. 
Why  are  they  now  desired  to  be  silent  ?  The  reason  is 
obvious.  It  is  known  that  the  character  of  the  present 
national  rulers  and  the  measures  which  they  have  adopt- 
ed,  are  disapproved  by  the  great  body  of  the  clergy 
throughout  the  United  States.  Such  men  would  never 
have  been  entrusted  with  the  government  and  such  meas- 
ures would  never  have  been  adopted,  could  the  voice  of 
the  clergy  have  been  heard.  The  prophets  of  the  Lord 
throughout  the  land  of  Israel,  with  Nathan  and  Gad  at 
their  head  $  and  the  priests  and  Levites,  with  the  high 
priests,  Zadock  and  Abiathar  at  their  head,  were  not 
more  firmly  attached  to  the  government  of  David  and 
more  fully  opposed  to  the  usurpation  and  rebellion  of 
Absalom,  than  the  clergy  of  this  country  are  attached  to 
the  character  and  principles  of  Washington  and  opposed 
to  those  of  Jefferson  and  his  adherents.  In  the  opinion 
of  the  clergy,  the  former  bore  the  image,  all  the  principal 
features  of  the  man  q/ier  Ood^s  own  hearty  while  the  lat- 
ter was  deemed  capable  of  all  the  guile  and  dishonesty 
of  an  Absalom. 

As  the  ministers  of  religion  are  known  thus  to  differ 
from  the  abettors  and  supporters  of  the  present  rulers, 
they  are  desired  to  abstain  from  all  political  discussions 


Sj 


9 

III)  the  pulpit.    But  should  not  they  who  are  thus  eartiesl 
I  impose  silence  upon  their  teachers,  reflect  whether 
l^re  be  not  something  suspicious  in  this  their  desire  ? 
;  is  essential  to  an  honest  and  good  hearty  always  to  hold 
litself  open  to  the  evidence  of  truth  from  whatever  quar- 
|itr  it  may  be  offered ;  while  it  is  the  nature  of  prejudice 
Ld  of  every  ill  bias,  to  hate,  at  first  sight,  the  appearance 
of  opposition.    Have  not  their  religious  teachers  as  much 
lit  stake  as  themselves,  as  great  an  interest  in  the  public 
Ileal  ?    Is  it  possible  for  them,  to  prefer  one  set  of  rulers 
lio  another  from  any  other  motive  but  a  conviction  of 
Ikir  being  better  men  or  better  qualified  to  serve  the 
Public  ?  As  men  of  information  and  learning,  the  clergy 
nay  be  supposed  to  possess  advantages  superior  to  the 
Ijenerality  of  their  parishioners,  for  forming  a  correct 
Ijydgment  of  public  characters  and  of  public  affairs*  The 
lleaders  of  parties  have  often  a  private  interest  distinct 
mm  that  of  the  public,  to  promote ;   but  the  clergy  can 
bave  no  such  interest.     Thus  circumstanced,  might  it 
[not  be  naturally  expected  that  tlicir  people  would  wish 
I  be  informed  of  their  judgment  upon  these  complex 
I |fet  interesting  concerns?     To  whom  can  the  farmer, 
tlie  mechanic,  or  the  tradesman  apply  for  information 
with  so  much  confidence  as  to  his  minister  ?    I  remem- 
ber the  time  when  this  was  generally  practised,  and  the 
opinion  of  the  clergy,  to  a  great  degree,  guided  that  of 
their  people.    If  for  some  years  past,  it  has  ceased,  ha9 
bot  been  for  the  same  reason  that  it  ceased  among  the 
Israelites  after  Absalom  had  stolen  their  hearts  ?    Infat- 
uated and  blinde.^  by  the  spirit  of  party,  by  the  flattery, 
guile  and  falsehood  of  artful,  interested  and  designing 
politicians,  men  give  themselves  up  exclusively  to  the 
passions  and  prejudices  thus  produced. 

3 


i;i 


;   I, 


'  I 


« 


I 

'■I 


10 

In  such  a  state  of  things  however,  whether  men  hear 
or  whether  they  forbear,  the  faithful  minister  of  the  gos. 
pel  feels  himself  under  an  obligation  superior  to  that  oj 
of  any  human  authority,  to  testify  against  all  unrighteousi 
ness  in  government,  as  well  as  in  other  concerns ;    anc 
against  wicked  rulers,  as  well  as  against  wicked  subjectsJ 
The  word  of  God  obliges  him  to  cry  aloud  and  not  spare! 
lifting  up  his  voice  like  a  trumpet^  against  the  crying  siiJ 
of  t!ie  land  ;  and  calling  upon  all  ranks  of  men  toforsak« 
their  false  and  evil  ways  and  reform  whatever  has  beeij 
amiss  in  their  politics,  as  well  as  in  every  other  part  i 
theii-  conduct.      Their  political  faults  and  follies,  mor 
frequently  perhaps  than  any  others,  have  been  the  immej 
diate  cause  of  prejudice  to  religion,  as  well  as  of  detrij 
ment  to  their  own  civil  interests.      Had  the  Israelite! 
hearkened  to  their  prophets  and  priests,  had  they  pc 
sessed  knowledge  and  virtue  sufficient  to  resist  the  cunj 
ning  and  subtilty  of  Ahitophel,  the  flattery  and  guile  ( 
Absalom ;   what  direful  calamities  might  they  have  es 
taped !— To  my  apprehension,  similar  calamities,  bul 
probably  of  much  longer  continuance,  are  now  hanginj 
over  our  country,  brought  on  precisely  by  the  same  ar 
which  originated  Absalom's  rebellion.      We  are  hunyl 
ing  on  in  a  career  apparently  leading  to  the  same  conclu 
sion.     Does  it  not  become  us  as  rational  reflecting 
ings,  as  men,  and  much  more,  as  christians,  to  paus 
and  seriously  and  solemnly  inquire  whether  we  are  righlj 
whether  we  may  not  be  under  some  wrong  bias,  whetl 
er  there  may  not  be  a  lie  in  our  right  hand ! 

Could  men  be  persuaded  to  'such  a  dispassionate  in 
quiry,  there  would  be  room  for  hope ;  but  when  a  pa 
spirit  has  once  taken  possession  of  their  hearts,  from  I 


'?-:•?* 


'  .J 


u 

moment,  their  ears  are  stopped  against  all  the  impressions 
of  truth,  of  reason,  and  of  argument.      Nothing  which 
the  friends  of  David  could  say  had  the  least  effect  upon 
the  partisans  of  Absalom.      In  vain  were  they  told  that 
David  was  the  Lord's  anointed,  and  to  rebel  against  hinif 
fas  to  rebel  against  God.     The  power  of  God  can  over- 
come the  prejudices  of  men,  but  his  authority  avails  no- 
thing against  them.     Be  the  divine  commands  what  they 
jaay,  jM^judice  always  interprets  them  in  favor  of  itself. 
iXhe  followers  of  Absalom  were  confident  that  Jehovah 
iwas  on  their  side.     His  name  was  boldly  introduced  as 
sanctioning  all  their  proceedings,  even  the  very  curses  of 
Shimei.    No  arguments  will  gain  the  attention  of  men 
greatly  prejudiced.     When  St.  Paul  apologized  for  him- 
self at  Jerusalem,  the  assembly,  says  the  historian,  gave 
\jm  audience  unto  this  word  ;  meaning  a  word  which  bore 
[directly  upon  their  prejudices,  when  instantly  lifting  up 
eir  voices,  they  exclaimed.  Away  with  such  a  felUyw 
\^m  the  earth  ;  /or  it  is  not  Jit  that  he  should  live.    After 
tfie  same  manner  they  also  treated  the  martyr  Stephen— 
\mjing  out  and  stopping  their  ears* 

The  nature  of  prejudice  is  the  same  in  all  ages  and 
I  upon  every  subject,  political,  as  well  as  religious ;  and 
&ey  who  are  most  under  its  influence,  are  least  sensible 
of  it,  and  wholly  unaware  of  the  absurd  lengths  to  which 
they  may  be  drawn.  Many  persons  who,  during  Wash- 
ington's administration,  joined  in  censuring  his  measures, 
explicitly  approbate  them  now  ;  but  they  still  confide  in 
the  very  men  by  whom  they  were  then  deceived.  Is  k 
not  wonderful  that  they  are  not  sensible  of  the  inconsbt- 
cncy — that  they  do  not  blush  to  remember  the  many  lu- 
dicrous follies  into  which  they  have  been  betrayed  by  their 


■^m 


rip,'  f. 


ft'.  5.!.:" 


-T    ■-*:     r^- 


f=*. 


.^^^"■4';' 


■'is 


f    ■ 


-Pi 


12 

artful  leaders  ?  Amidst  the  universal  clamour  which  these 
leaders  had  the  address  to  excite  against  Mr.  Jay's  trea^ 
with  Britain,  how  many  of  our  country  towns  exposed 
their  ignorance  and  folly  by  publishing  strictures  and  re. 
solves  upon  that  subject  ?  In  some  places,  the  matter  was 
carried  to  a  much  greater  extravagance.  In  one  of  the 
counties  of  the  state  of  New  York,  nearly  a  whole  con- 
gregation  of  professed  christians  became  so  agitated  tllat 
they  committed  great  disturbances.  They  paraded  the 
streets,  burned  Mr.  Jay  in  effigy,  and  erected  liberty-poles 
with  a  French  red  cap  on  their  tops  and  absurd  devices 
on  their  bottoms ;  which  liberty-poles,  a  few  months  since, 
were  still  rtanding,  the  monuments  of  the  knavery  and 
wickedness  of  the  men  who  are  now  our  national  nilers. 
Those  honest  christians  who  were  worked  up  to  such  a 
phrenzy,  knew  no  more  about  treaties,  than  they  did  about 
Sir  Isaac  Newton's  Principia  ;  but  tlie  Absaloms  and 
Ahitophels  of  the  day,  who  were  then  attempting  to  de. 
throne  Washington,  had  stolen  their  hearts  and  tfafinrun. 
derstandings.  On  a  Lord's  day  during  these  their  riot* 
ous  proceedings,  their  minister  read  for  their  edificati<»i, 
the  thirteenth  chapter  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  the 
seven  first  verses  of  which  are  so  many  precepts  enjoin* 
ing  civil  order  and  government.  A  great  proportion  of 
the  congregation  grew  very  angry ;  and  the  chapter  being 
read,  they  declared,  *'  The  New  Testament  was 

1VRITTEN  ONLY    FOR    SLAVES    UNDER  A  MONARCHY, 
AND  WAS  NEVER  INTENDED  FOR  INDEPENDENT  RE- 
PUBLICANS.^*— Thus  the  word  of  God  itself  is  renoun* 
ced  by  professed  believers  when  it  stands  in  the  way  of  | 
their  party -prejudices  and  passions.  *  **ii      ^ 

What  then  shall  be  done  ?   When  we  sec  and  know 


^ 


13 

that  our  fnends  and  fellow-citizens,  deluded  and  blinded 
by  the  sophistry  and  guile  of  wicked  ^  saloms,  are  hur- 
lying  on  in  the  career  to  ruin,  and  arc  j;*rrying  ourselves 
dong  with  them ;  are  we  to  be  silent  ?  are  we  to  forbear 
every  attempt  to  open  their  eyes  and  disabuse  them  ? — 
My  hearers,  I  enter  upon  this  attempt  with  the  feelings 
of  one  going  upon  a  forlorn  hope.  God  is  my  witness 
that  I  would  not  upon  any  consideration,  willingly  or  un- 
necessarily wound  the  feelings  of,  or  give  offence  to,  an 
individual  in  this  assembly.  My  aim  is  to  address  you 
in  the  words  of  truth  and  soberness.  If  a  single  assertion 
should  escape  me  which  is  not  true,  I  pledge  myself  on 
conviction,  to  recall  it  as  publicly  as  it  may  be  made. 
Will  you  not  then  give  me  your  candid  hearing  while  I 
open  to  you  what  appears  to  me  the  true  state  of  pur  na- 
tional aflairs  ? 

The  cloud  which  now  darkens  our  horizon,  began  to 
appear  at  the  period  when  the  first  embassador  from  the 
French  republic,  unfortunately  reached  our  shores.  As 
die  object  of  his  mission  was,  to  unite  this  nation  with  his 
own  in  war  against  England  ;  the  men  who  are  now  our 
rulers,  were  well  disposed  to  comply  with  his  wishes. 
Immediately  French  emissaries  spread  themselves  from 
one  extremity  of  the  continent  to  the  other,  many  news- 
papers were  engaged  to  aid  their  cause,  and  many  parti- 
sans in  all  the  states,  especially  in  the  southern  ones,  ap- 
peared clamouring  for  war.  So  great  was  their  influence 
m  congress,  that  one  of  its  members,  in  a  letter  dated 
more  than  sixteen  years  ago,  expressed  himself  to  this  ef- 
fect, "  I  shall  congratulate  my  country  if  we  can  get 
through  the  session  without  a  declaration  of  war."  The 
wise  and  upright  Washington  issued  his  proclamation  of 


,r 


■;i'.  A 


* 


''-: 


^''£M 


l.'Ttm  liWR*^!  '.wi 


U 

neutrality  ;  but  for  some  tune,  it  remained  doubtful  whe. 
ther  he  would  be  able  to  support  it  against  the  influence 
of  the  war- party. 

The  leaders  of  that  party  have  never  lost  sight  of  their 
object*  Before  they  reached  the  helm  of  state,  their  in. 
fluence  was  constantly  and  uniformly  exerted  in  favor  of 
France  against  England.  Washington  made  a  treaty 
with  the  latter,  in  consequence  of  which  a  vast  property 
was  restored  to  our  citizens,  and  the  commercial  prosper. 
ity  of  the  country  through  the  course  of  more  than  ten 
years,  continued  rising  to  an  height  before  unexampled. 
Yet  this  treaty,  so  unspeakably  advantageous  to  the  coun- 
try, brought  upon  Washington  and  Jay,  the  utmost  ven- 
cm  of  slander  and  abuse  from  the  men  now  in  power. 
Such  was  their  influence  then  in  congress  that,  for  a  long 
time,  no  act  of  the  legislature  could  be  obtained  making 
provision  for  carrying  the  treaty  into  effect.  It  was,  at 
last,  obtained  by  the  petitions  and  remonstrances  of  the 
merchants  in  our  great  cities. 

At  the  period  when  this  treaty  expu^d,  the  sun  of 
our  country's  glory  had  sitten,  Washington  was  no  more. 
His  insidious  and  malignant  opponents  had  burst  the 

» 

doors  of  public  confidence  and  seated  themselves  at  the 
head  of  our  affairs.  The  commerce  of  the  country  and 
its  immense  advantages  from  a  good  understanding  with 
England,  were  matters  of  no  consideration  with  them. 
The  British  cabinet  offered  to  renew  the  treaty,  but  they 
spumed  the  proposal.  The  philosophical  Jefterson  had 
a  variety  of  experiments  which  he  wished  to  try,  the  pro. 
jects  of  his  own  fruitful  invention ;  dry-docks,  guu-boats, 
non-importation  acts,  embargoes,  non-intercourse  laws, 
torpedoes,  with,  I  know  not,  how  many  other  contrivan* 


15 


cesfor  bringing  down  the  spirit  of  the  nation  to  a  tempe- 
rament suitibie  to  the  views  of  those  who  now  guided 
their  counsels.  In  the  pursuit  of  these  projects,  the  com- 
merce of  the  country  has  been  destroyed,  its  infant  navy 
reduced  and  neglected,  its  prosperity  blasted,  its  wealth 
dissipated,  its  treasury,  what  was  not  first  plundered  by 
the  creatures  of  administration,  wholly  exhausted  ;  the 
spirits  of  parties  inflamed  and  sharpened  agsdnst  each  oth- 
er, and  foreign  war  provoked  by  a  continued  series  of 
insults  against  the  only  power  which  has  hitherto  stood 
between  us  and  the  great  ravager  of  the  human  race. 

Amidst  these  experiments,  permission  was,  at  length, 
given  to  our  envoys  at  London,  to  negotiate  a  treaty  up- 
on conditions  which  their  instructers  had  litde  reason  to 
expect  would  be  conceded.    By  a  change  in  the  British 
ministry  remarkably  favorable  to  this  country,,  those  con- 
ditions were  essentially  obtained.    Mr.  Jefierson  was  dis- 
appointed^   In  that  treaty  he  saw  the  derangement  of  his 
favorite  schemes,  and,  what  ajffected  him  still  more,  the 
loss  of  the  friendship  of  France.    Bonaparte  had  just  de- 
creed the  destruction  of  the  British  commerce,  and  im- 
periously demanded  the  aid  of  America.     Jefferson's 
heart  was  with  him,  but  this  new  treaty  stood  in  his  way. 
What  should  he  do  ?  The  constitution  required  the  trea- 
ty to  be  laid  before  the  Senate  of  the  United  States.   The 
president  knew  that  if  submitted  to  them,  it  would  cer- 
tainly be  sianctioned.      Thus  situated,  would  any  man 
whose  heart  was  not  that  of  an  Absalom,  of  a  desperado, 
have  taken  upon  himself,  in  contempt  of  the  constitution, 
the  responsibility  of  rejecting  and  indignantly  sending 
back,  a  treaty  so  essential  to  the  peace  and  prosperity  of 
his  country  ?  Would  he  have  thus  put  to  ha^rd,  the  im- 


-M'."!' 


x^   .ru, 


M.... 


^*.?^ 


» '■; 


jksi:-;' 


Id 


I 


mense  property  of  his  fellow-citizens  at  that  moment 
floating  upon  the  ocean^  a  tempting  prey  to  more  than  a 
thousand  British  cruizers  ? 

But  this  was  the  desired  opportunity  for  JefTerson's 
experiments.  Of  course,  they  were  put  in  immediate 
operation ;  but  as  they  consisted  in  a  most  flagrant  vio- 
lation, not  of  the  federal  constitution  only,  but  of  those 
first  principles  which  unite  men  in  society,  and  were  a 
stretch  of  despotism  unparalleled  and  unexampled  in  the 
history  of  the  world  ;  nO  circumstance  attending  them, 
occasioned  to  my  mind  more  gloomy  apprehensions,  than 
to  see  my  fellow-citizens  so  humbled  and  lost  to  a  sense 
of  their  civil  rights,  the  rules  of  morality,  and  the  laws  of 
God  as  to  be  capable  of  yielding  their  necks  one  moment 
to  such  horrible  impositions.  Their  infatuation  upon 
this  subject,  exceeded  in  absurdity,  the  stupidity  of  the 
Israelites  in  suffering  their  hearts  to  be  stolen  by  Absa* 
lom.  The  utter  futility  of  those  experiments  to  answer 
their  pretended  purposes,  had  been  demonstrated  by  their 
opponents  both  in  and  out  of  congress  with  a  light  clear 
as  the  noon-tide  sun ;  yet  the  whole  party  shut  their  eyes 
agunst  this  light,  and  one  of  our  great  men,  whose  influ- 
ence in  favor  of  the  embargo-laws,  had  more  weight  than 
that  of  any  other  individual  in  New  England,  said  tome, 
doubting  of  their  efficacy,  "  I  knanv  they  will  be  effectu- 
al." This  he  repeated  in  the  same  peremptory  tone  over 
and  over  again. — Notwithstanding  this  high  confidence, 
after  they  had  been  in  force  eight  months,  our  minister  at 
Paris,  wrote  to  his  employers,  "  That  in  France  the  em. 
bargo  was  not  felt  and  in  England  forgotten."  By  our 
wise  rulers  however,  it  was  continued  ten  months  longer 
to  the  gratification  and  applause  of  the  French  govern- 


'U 


17 

ment,  the  increased  profit  of  British  commerce,  and 
the  distress  of  oui  own  citizens.  At  last,  it  was  given 
up  by  its  very  autliors  and  abettors ;  but  were  they 
ashamed  of  their  sin  and  folly  ?  No ;  they  were  not 
ashamed  i  They  immediately  had  recourse  to  other  ex- 
periments of  the  same  general  nature ;  and  to  this  day, 
their  theory  is  not  exhausted;  they  have  still  further 
projects  in  contemplation. 

But,  as  a  preacher  of  righteousness,  authorized  by 
the  word  of  God,  I  announce  to  them,  that  from  what 
they  have  done  already,  a  load  of  guilt  and  a  long  train 
of  evils  both  natural  and  moral,  have  been  produced 
which  will  one  day,  whatever  may  be  their  present  in- 
sensibility and  stupefaction,  gnaw  their  souls  to  the 
quick  and  pierce  their  very  joints  and  marrow.  Besides 
die  misery  and  mischief  to  the  multitudes  immediately 
oppressed ;  in  the  sight  of  that  Being  whose  eyes  are 
every  where  beholding  the  evil  and  the  good,  many  per- 
sons, either  in  evading  or  executing  the  embargo-laws 
were,  from  first  to  last,  slaughtered ;  divers  murders  and 
perjuries  were  committed,  innumerable  false  oaths  taken, 
crimes  of  blackest  dye  perpetrated,  and  scenes  of  violence 
and  guilt  acted  along  the  whole  extent  of  our  frontier,  as 
well  as  in  every  port  and  harbour  on  the  coast  All  these 
atrocious  enormities  are  still  crying  to  Heaven  for  ven- 
geance upon  those  evil  counsels  and  unrighteous  de- 
crees which,  in  their  effects,  were  1.0  many  snares  of  hell 
for  the  consciences  and  souls  of  men.  Hardened  infi- 
dels may  sneer  at  these  denunciations,  but  though  men 
may  mock,  God  is  not  mocked.  In  the  issue  of  thingsin 
it  will  be  found  tliat,  as  there  is  a  reward  for  the  right- 
eous, so  a  strange  punishment  is  in  reserve  for  the  workr 

3 


iv.. 


'  ^m. 


'iifi^ 


iJ  H II 


S" 


18 

crs  of  iniquity.  The  heaviest  woes  hang  over  those  who 
decree  unrighteous  decrees— ^nd^  attempt  to  establish  a 
city  or  &  government  b^  iniquiti/, 

O  that  I  were  madejuc^e  in  the  land  !  was  among 
the  arts  of  Absalom.  The  same  insidious  arts  covered 
the  march  of  our  present  rulers  to  the  helm  of  State. 
Nothing  answered  their  purpose  better,  than  repraiches 
against  their  predecessors  for  their  want  of  oeconomy, 
for  the  enormous  salaries  which  they  had  appropriated 
to  themselves,  and  for  their  general  profusion  of  the  peo- 
ple's money.  Upon  this  string  all  the  newspapers  de- 
voted  to  their  interest,  were  constantly  playing.  In  a 
letter  to  a  citizen  during  Washington's  administration, 
Mr.  Jefferson  expressed  his  dread  of  tiie  patronage  of  j 
the  Executive,  "  because  it  enlisted  on  his  side  all  those 
whom  he  could  interest,  and  doomed  the  laboring  citi- 
zens to  toil  and  sweat  for  useless  pageantry." 

With  such  professions  previously  made,  he  and  his  i 
coadjutors  gained  possession  of  the  public  chest.    What 
has  been  their  ceconomy  ?    During  the  eight  years  pre- 
ceding his  administration,  the  average  appropriation  for 
the  civil  list,  aimually  fell  short  of  half  a  million  of  dol-  i 
iars.     During  the  same  term  of  his  and  Madison's  ad- 
ministration, it  exceeded  the  double  of  that  sum.    Mr.  i 
Hamilton  whose  labors  and  talents  originated  the  whole  I 
system  of  rev^ue,  received  a  salary  of  thirty  five  hun- 
dred dollars.    His  present  successor  in  the  same  office, 
receives  five  thousand  dollars.-t.It  is  well  known  that 
all  the  sulxxtUnate  officers  in  ^e  government  were  dis* 
|daced  by  Mr.  Jefferson  to  make  room  for  his  friends, 
the  true  republi(»a)S)  as  they  are  called,  men  of  oeconomj  | 
who  are  willing  to  btraiten  themselves  to  spare  the  mouth  j 


19 


of  labor.  Among  these  . ;  ublicans,  General  Wilkin* 
son  makes  a  most  conspicuous  figure.  The  expenses 
of  this  man's  table  for  the  space  of  about  four  months 
only,  cost  the  United  States  six  thousand  six  hundred 
nineteen  dollars.  When  I  read  the  particulars,  of  this 
and  his  other  accounts  in  the  public  papers,  I  could  not 
conceive,  that  such  charges  would  be  allowed.  Ex* 
travagant  as  they  were,  they  were  paid  by  Mr.  Jefferson's 
order  in  violation  of  the  law.  Is  the  suspicion  unfound- 
ed that  he  feared  to  provoke  Wilkinson,  lest  he  should 
betray  secrets  prejudicial  to  the  party  ?  Among  the  ca- 
pable and  honest  republicans  introduced  by  Jefferson  to 
]^ces  of  public  trust,  one  at  New  Orleans  has  lately  ab- 
sconded with  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  of  the  public 
money ;  another  at  the  Eastward,  with  thirty  thousand ; 
"  a  secretary  of  state,  an  attorney-general,  a  collector  of 
our  first  sea-port)  and  a  clerk,  of  the  house  of  representa« 
tives  are  on  the  list  of  defaulters."  A  report  of  the 
comptroller  of  the  treasury  brings  in  Mr.  Jefferson's  of- 
ficers delmquent  to  the  amount  of  half  a  million  of  dol- 
lars, exclusive  of  the  defalcations  during  the  three  kist 
years,  as  yet  unknown.  Besides  these  absolute  losses, 
the  sums  are  immense  and  incalculable  which  Mr.  Jef- 
ferson's experiments  have  cost  the  country.  I  know 
not  how  many  millions  were  expended  in  building  and 
equipping  his  fleet  of  one  hundred  and  three  gun-boats 
which,  when  finished,  he  himself  acknowledged  to  bo 
useless.  Was  there  ever  before,  under  the  name  of  de- 
fence,  so  cruel  a  mockery  practised  upon  any  people  ^^-^ 
In  short,  Mr.  Jefferson,  throughout  his  administration^ 
treated  the  people  as  though  they  were  less  than  children, 
more  easily  deceived  and  destitute  of  all  intellect.    In 


»"•  I 


■•J 


if  ■■:  ■ 


ti 


li 


Ft 
i' 


li      :i 


I,.  JBV:U 


m 


Hi; 


W 


(hi 

ll  fir 


r;! 


t  ■  5 


90 

his  very  last  message  to  congress  he  affected  to  be  at  « 
loss  how  to  dispose  of  the  surplusage  of  revenue,  and 
to  solicit  advice  whether  it  should  be  laid  out  in  roads 
canals,  &c — when  he  knew  that,  in  consequence  of  his 
measures,  the  wheels  of  government  must  stop  within  a 
twelvemonth  unless  there  should  be  a  loan  of  four  millions 
of  dollars.  Such  shameless  effrontery  is  hardly  paralleled 
in  the  history  of  tyrants. — Mr.  Jofm  Randolph,  a  Vir. 
ginia  member  of  congress  and  formerly  a  zealous  friend 
of  the  late  President,  has  become  so  thoroughly  convinc* 
ed  of  his  dishonesty  that,  in  one  of  his  publications,  after 
observing  that  he  returned  fix>m  his  mission  to  France, 
'*  in  dress,  taste,  politics,  philosophy,  and  religion,  a  finished 
Frenchman" — he  goes  on  to  compare  him  in  his  nies< 
sages  to  congress  and  public  documents,  to  the  insidious 
and  dark  minded  Tiberius,  and  says  of  him,  **  that  he 
died  politically  with  a  lie  in  his  mouth." 

My  brethren,  when  the  people  of  these  United  States, 
chose  this  man  for  their  chief  ruler,  I  did  at  the  time  and 
do  still,  firmly  believe  that  they  sinned  against  Heaven 
in  a  grievous  and  aggravated  manner.  By  that  sin  they 
have  brought  upon  themselves  the  displeasure  of  Al- 
mighty God,  the  effects  of  which  they  are  now  suffering, 
being  given  up  to  eat  of  the  fruit  of  their  own  ways,  and 
to  be  filled  with  their  own  devices,  their  public  counsels 
being  turned  into  foolishness,  their  transgressions  made 
to  correct  them,  and  their  backslidings  to  reprove  them. 

We  call  ourselves  a  Christian  nation.  God  has  dis- 
tinguished us  from  many  other  nations  by  giving  us  the 
Inestimable  treasure  of  his  word  to  direct  us  in  all  our 
conduct,  and  cspeciaUy  in  our  political  concerns.  This 
IKord  enjoins  it  upon  us,  in  the  choice  of  rul^s,  to  giv^ 


21 

our  suffrages  for  such  and  such  only  as  fear  Him,  men 
of  truths  as  well  as  of  ability,  eminent  for  religion  and 
probity,  as  well  as  for  knowledge  and  wisdom.  These 
commands  are,  not  only  abundantly  repeated  both  in  the 
Old  Testament  and  in  the  New,  but  are  illustrated  in 
many  striking  examples  of  good  and  bad  statesmen  and 
rulers,  of  Davids  and  Absaloms,  of  Samuels  and  Ahito- 
phels,  of  Gideons  and  Abimelechs  throughout  the  whole 
inspired  history.  This  nation,  when  their  religious  teach* 
ers  set  before  them  the  revealed  will  of  God  upon  this 
subject,  and  admonished  them  not  to  act  in  contradiction 
to  their  christian  principles  and  profession — ^this  nation 
turned  a  deaf  ear,  declared  against  being  priest-ridden, 
imposed  silence  upon  their  pastors  at  the  peril  of  being 
deserted  by  their  flocks  and  turned  out  of  their  livings  : 
The  answer  was,  "  whether  he  believe  in  one  God  or  in 
twenty,  whether  he  be  a  believer  or  a  deist,  the  friend  of 
Jesus  Christ  or  of  Thomas  Paine ; — it  is  sufficient  for  us 
that  he  is  a  true  republican,  and  for  that  reason,  the  man 
of  our  choice."  The  sentence  of  Heaven  was  passed  up- 
on them  :  Epkraim  is  joined  to  idols^  let  him  alone.  The 
Lord  gave  them  their  request ;  but  sent  leanness  into  their 
souls.       ■'         •■'   ••■■       '    ♦  •■    ^  •       ...-•• 

Many  people  seem  to  think  that  though  a  man  should 
not  be  a  believer  in  Christianity,  he  may  notwithstanding 
be  a  man  of  good  morals  and  a  wise  and  good  ruler  ; — 
there  having  been  many  such  among  the  ancient  Greeks 
and  Romans  before  the  publication  of  Christianity.  But 
they  who  thus  argue,  forget  that  there  is  a  wide  difference 
between  deists  in  a  pagan,  and  deists  in  a  christian,  coun- 
tiy.  Pagan  deists  upon  whom  the  light  of  revelation  ne- 
vrr  shone,  were  never  ^ilty  of  hating  nnd  rejecting  this 


'i'.' 


Ilii^ki 


29 

divine  light.  For  this  reason,  they  may  be  supported 
to  retain  a  much  deeper  sentte  of  moral  obligation,  thuu 
those  men  wlio  have  apostatized  from  the  gospel.  The 
latter,  though  professing  belief  in  God,  are  practicul  aUie- 
ists.  Robespierre,  as  also  Thomas  Paine,  professed  be. 
lief  in  a  supreme  Being  ;  but  they  were  both  practicul 
atheists.  They  left  their  supreme  Being  to  slumber  in 
supine  apathy  and  indifference,  while  they  pursued  the 
career,  the  one  of  his  passions,  the  other  of  his  appetites, 
insensible  of  and  careless  about  all  future  consequences. 
I  do  not  say  that  all  deists  are  equally  unrestrained  in  vice 
with  these  two  most  profligate  characters.  Many,  no 
doubt,  are  held  back  by  natural  afiection,  by  a  sense  of 
decency,  by  public  opinion,  by  a  regard  to  reputation,  and 
by  other  similar  considerations ;  but  not  by  principle, 
not  by  any  deep  governing  sense  of  their  accountableness 
to  God.  Never  in  my  life  did  I  meet  with  a  deist  who 
appeared  in  his  actions  or  conversation,  to  be  influenced 
by  a  reverential  awe  of  God  ;  nor  do  I  imagine  such  an 
one  to  be  found  in  all  Christendom.  The  seed  of  the 
gospel  never  falls  upon  an  honest  and  gorjd  heart  without 
being  received  and  takuig  root.  Its  light  never  shines 
upon  those  whose  deeds  are  not  evil,  without  being  wel- 
comed as  pleasant  and  delightful.  But  those  men  whose 
minds,  after  being  enlightened  by  education  and  science, 
are  yet  so  blinded  by  their  passions  and  lusts  as  to  hate 
the  light  of  revelation,  are  never  in  their  practice  after- 
wards guided  by  the  light  of  nature  and  reason.  Divine 
providence  suflers  this  inferior  light  to  be  extinguished  j|j| 
in  those  who  wilfully  reject  the  superior  and  greater  Ught 
of  revelation.  Such  men  are  usually  given  over  to  a  rep- 
robate iiiind  i  'id  teared  conscience.    As  temptations  oc- 


cur, tliey  o 
desperate  ir 
such  men  ii 
not  named 
than  those  o 
er  the  criin 
the  whole  e 
magnitude 
the  commc 
But  to 
bcr  to  have 
ing  Washiii 
strict  and  sc 
but  by  thi«* 
sure  (ifJeffe 
Jererson  sai 
of  England 
of  congress 
national  cou 
adiscrimina 
spirit  of  this 
ted  States  tr 

•  diet,  I  m 
jtm  past,  Kenr 
til,  those  measu 
the  nation.  Tb( 
ing  them.  Fiftc 
monweahh,  gari 
kte  Vifginia  pul 
■^../tof  Aluto 
wkest  pe. 
"  noihirig  could 
power  which  ha 
What  arc  we  ta 
such  a  leader  ? 


23 


cur,  Uiey  ottcn  go  on  from  bad  to  worse  till  they  become 
desperate  in  wickedness.  Hence  it  comes  to  pass  that 
such  men  in  christian  countries,  ore  often  guilty  ot  rrimes 
iiot  named  among  the  '  ithcns,  moa>  vile  and  itnKiiou'i 
than  those  of  p^ii^in  idolaters.  It  may  be  doubted  wi..  th- 
er  the  crime?  of  the  latter,  of  all  the  pagan  nati(  ns  over 
the  whole  earth  during  the  lapse  of  uges,  have  equalled  in 
magnitude  and  horror,  those  of  the  infidel  French  since 
the  commencement  of  their  revolutionary  career. 

But  to  go  on  with  oiu-  p.  >Utical  discussion.  I  remem- 
ber to  have  read  in  Ua  i' '  m.  '^'y  Reviews  of  London  dur- 
ing Washington'^  ddministntion,  a  panegyric  upon  his 
strict  and  scrupulous  ci  servanceof  the  rules  of  neutrality; 
but  by  this  .  irality  he  drew  upon  himself,  the  displea- 
sure if  Jefferson,  Gilts,  Madison,  and  their  whole  party. 
JeCerson  said  of  him,  "  that  he  was  attached  to  the  whore 
of  England  ;"  Giles*^  publicly  abused  him  on  the  floor 
of  congress  *,  and  Madison  exerted  all  his  abilities  in  the 
national  councils,  to  defeat  his  neumility  by  a  law  making 
a  discrimination  in  favor  of  France  against  England.  The 
spirit  of  this  proposed  law  consisted  in  rendering  the  Uni- 
ted States  tributary  to  France  by  coni{)eUing  tliemi  against 

*  Giles,  1  mention  this  man  because  his  influence  in  cong^ss  for  some 
jtan  past,  seems  to  have  been  irresistible,  and  originated  the  most,  if  not 
ail,  those  measures  which  have  brouglit  reproach,  as  well  as  distress,  upoo 
the  nation.  These  fruits  are  agreeable  to  tlie  nature  of  tlie  tree  produc* 
ing  them.  Fiileen  years  ago,  a  highly  respectable  senator  from  tliis  com* 
monweahh,  gave  me  a  character  of  this  man  whieh  is  but  coniirmad  by  a 
kte  Virginia  publication,  representing  him  in^  heart  and  iicad  as  the  coun. 
ci-^.ift  of  Ahitophel  j  total^  destitute  of  ht.  or  and  principle,  capable  of 
wkest  pc.  .J  ;  "  with  the  mention  of  whose  name,"  says  the  writer, 
"  noihirfg  eould  induce  me  to  rtain  my  paper  or  pollute  my  lips,  but  the 
power  which  ha  seems  to  have  acquired  uf  being  hurtful  to  my  country," 
What  arc  we  to  expect  from  a  nationaJ  l«gi^ture  under  the  influence  of 
such  a  leader? 


'^H' 


i'i 


24 

their  interest  and  to  a  great  loss  of  profit,  to  trade  Math  her 
rather  than  with  England.  Thus  evidently  did  Mr.  Mad- 
ison then,  prefer  the  interest  oi'  France,  not  only  to  that  of 
England,  but  to  that  of  his  own  country ;  and  so  shame- 
less was  he  in  this  partiality  that  he  openly  avowed  it  in 
these  words :  "  What  must  be  the  feelings  of  France, 
between  whom  and  the  United  States  the  most  friendly 
relations  exist,  when  she  sees  not  only  the  balance  of 
trade  against  her,  but  that  what  is  obtained  from  her, 
flows  into  the  coffers  of  one  of  her  most  jealous  rivals." 
It  was  in  the  year  1794  when  Mr.  Madison  thus  spoke  of 
the  most  friendly  relations  subsisting  between  France  and 
the  United  States.  At  that  very  time,  all  tlie  agents  and 
engines  of  French  influence  were  in  full  operation  to  rev- 
olutionize this  country  and  overthrow  the  government  of 
Washington.  So  general  was  their  success  that  we  stood 
tottering  on  the  verge  of  a  rebellion  altogether  as  absurd 
and  criminal  as  was  that  of  Absalom.  Thus  circumstan- 
ced, is  it  conceivable  that  Mr.  Madison  would  have  made 
such  a  speech  had  he  not  enlisted  himself  among  the  prime 
agents  for  France  ?  Is  he  not  the  same  man  still  ?  What 
proofs  have  we  to  the  contrary  ?  Did  he  not  uniformly 
oppose  all  the  precautions  of  his  own  government  against 
France  up  to  the  very  time  when  he  himself  became  a 
member  of  the  administration  ? 

How  he  has  conducted  since,  I  will  endeavour  briefly 
to  state,  so  far  as  my  knowledge  extends.  Previous  to 
this  period,  in  a  manner  the  most  provoking  and  outra- 
geous, France  had  plundered  an  immense  property  from 
our  merchants,  no  part  of  which  was  ever  restored.  Bo- 
naparte had  usurped  the  government  of  that  country  and 
had  the  direction  of  its  afikirs  at  the  time  when  the  last 


25 

ti«aty  was  negotiated.    It  has  since  appeared  that  he  had 
no  other  view  in  forming  it  but  to  gain  the  opportunity  of 
yet  further  plunder  by  alluring  our  property  within  his 
grasp.    Whv.  n  seventeen  millions  of  dollars,  according  to 
die  statement  of  our  embassador,  had  thus  at  unawares, 
fallen  within  his  reach,  he  suddenly  seized  upon  the  whole. 
Spuming  the  obligations  of  the  most  solemn  treaties,  he 
issued  his  Berlin,  Milan,  and  Bayonne  decress— decrees 
whose  nature  outrages  every  principle  of  humanity,  as 
well  as  of  reason  and  morality ;  and  for  capricious  feroci- 
ty  and  cruelty,  are  unequalled  and  unexampled  in  the  an- 
nals of  despotism  itself.    These  decrees  are  rigidly  car- 
ried into  execution  upon  our  citizens.    All  the  power  of 
France  and  her  allies  is  uninterruptedly  employed  in  depre- 
dations upon  our  property  and  commerce,  in  capturing, 
plundering  and  burning  our  ships  ;  and  throwing  their 
crews  into  prison.      Hundreds  of  our  seamen  are  now 
lingering  and  perishing  in  the  gaols  of  France.   The  hum- 
ble, meek  and  submissive  remonstrances  of  our  embas- 
sador, are  unnoticed  and  unanswered,  or  answered  only 
with  haughty  contemptuous  reflections  upon  our  country, 
insults  upon  our  government  and  menaces  against  us  for 
not  taking  an  active  part  in  the  war  against  England.  Bo- 
naparte has  declared  to  the  world,  that  there  shall  be  no 
neutrals.  To  the  Portuguese  embassador  he  saidexplicidy, 
"  I  will  trample  under  foot  all  the  principles  of  neutrality ;" 
and  so  he  has  in  his  whole  conduct  towards  this  country. 
In  what  manner  and  with  what  spirit  our  rulers  have 
resisted  these  aggressions  and  insults,  we  have  but  a  par- 
tial and  imperfect  knowledge,  because  they  have  not  dar- 
ed to  let  us  see  any  thing  more  than  some  scattered  de- 
tached fragments  of  their  correspondence  with  France. 
From  these  fragments  we  can  only  learn  that  they  have 


f 

'\         f' 

i                       !■■  ■ 

* 

'ft 

'"; 

H-  fr 

'J 

fj 

I '  '  1 ' 

|.    1 

l"^-|-' 

'fi, 

)  p 

I 

f 

l.^^-J^i 

'i  '"'l"'''    ^m 

''1"''m 

^'ll 

;:1a 

il"^!^^ 

26 


expressed  their  concern  at  her  high  tone  towards  us  lest 
it  should  prove  prejudicial  to  the  French  interest  and  les- 
sen the  number  of  their  friends.  Speaking  of  the  French 
decrees,  Mr.  Madison  seems  to  regret  them  as  casting 
"  a  cloud  over  the  amity  between  the  two  countries  ;" 
and  directs  our  embassador  to  ask  for  some  **  explana- 
tions," which  may  serve  to  soften  the  spirits  of  the  people 
here,  but  at  the  same  time,  cautbns  him  to  use  his  "  dis< 
cretion  "  in  so  asking  as  not  to  give  offence. 

My  hearers,  if  you  mistake  the  timidity,  meanness, 
servility  and  abject  submission  of  dependents  and  slaves 
for  the  gospel  virtues  of  humility  and  meekness ;  you 
may  rank  our  national  rulers  among  the  most  exemplary 
saints,  who,  being  smitten  on  the  one  cheeky  turn  the  other 
also  i  and  being  robbed  of  their  coat)  surrender  their  cloak 
also.  But  real  saints  are  always  consistent  and  show  the 
same  good  temper  towards  all  parties.  Let  us  then,  look 
upon  the  other  side.  Have  they  shown  the  satne  meek- 
ness in  their  language  and  conduct  towards  Great  Brit- 
ain ?  To  her  they  have  said  in  a  questionable  case,  "  The 
United  States  cannot  for  a  moment  submit  to  such  in- 
fractions of  their  rights."  Had  this  language  been  held 
towards  France,  we  should  have  escaped  all  controversy 
with  Britain.  While  Mr.  Madison  affects  to  see  nothing 
in  the  French  decrees  but  an  empty  cloud  passing  over 
"  the  amity  between  the  two  countries,"  he  says  of  the 
British  orders,  "  that  they  violated  our  rights,  stabbed  out 
interests,  and  superadded  a  blow  at  our  national  indepen- 
dence,  and  a  mockery  of  our  understanding."  The  sub- 
mission of  our  rulers  to  the  decrees  of  France  for  a  whole 
twelvemonth,  at  last  compelled  the  British  cabinet  in  their 
own  defence,  to  issue  those  orders  of  which  Mr.  Madi- 
son speaks  in  such  spirited  terms. 


57 

Not  ggain  to  mention  Mr.  Jefferson's  haughty  rejec- 
tion of  a  treaty  framed  by  his  own  commissioners,  and  in 
their  judgment,  essentially  conformable  to  his  instructions ; 
did  our  rulers  show  their  pacific  temper  in  that  unaccom- 
modating, sullen  and  morose  behaviour  towards  the  Brit* 
isli  naval  officers  which  provoked  their  unwarranted  at- 
tack upon  our  frigate  ?  Had  the  same  facili^  in  recover^ 
jng  deserters,  been  afforded  to  the  British  which  was  ne- 
ver denied  to  the  French  ;  that  attack  and  aU  Us  subse- 
quent evils  would  have  been  avoided.    Did  the  meekness 
of  our  rulers  appear  in  the  immediate  vengeance  inflicted 
upon  the  British  government  while  that  government  was 
as  yet  totally  ignorant  and  guiltless  of  the  wrong  done  by 
its  servants  ?   Did  it  appear  in  their  refusal  to  cease  that 
vengeance  as  the  condition  of  receiving  proffered  compen- 
sation ;    and  in  their  insolent  rejection  of  a  special  and 
extraordinary  envoy  sent  on  purpose  to  make  us  all  rea- 
sonable satisfaction  ?  Did  it  appear  in  the  irritating  and 
provoking  language  used  in  the  arrangement  with  Mr. 
Erskine  ? — language  in  itself  a  sufficient  and  justifying 
reason  for  any  independent  government,  sensible  of  its 
ovm  dignity,  to  disown  and  set  aside,  an  arrangement  car- 
rying on  its  very  face  such  insulting  rudeness.    Did  their 
meek  and  pacific  temper  appear  in  their  treatment  of  the 
successor  of  Mr.  Erskine  ? — in  their  first  forbidding  him 
to  speak  in  their  presence  ?   and  in  their  refusing  after- 
ward to  receive  any  communication  from  him  whatever 
either  verbal  or  written,  on  account  of  a  pretended  offence 
in  his  writing,  which  offence  no  eyes  but  their  own  can 
discern  ? — What  a  glaring  contrast  do  these  particulars 
in  the  words  and  actions  of  our  rulers,  form  to  their  tame 
and  submissive  tone  towards  France  under  injuries  ini 
comparably  greater  and  more  aggravated  ? 


i 


w 


h 


I: 


r.i,| 


-:    ■« 


i 


28 

While  a  war  with  England  is  thus  perseveringly  prt. 
voked,  our  rulers  well  know  that  it  is  in  her  power  to  do 
us  more  harm  in  one  month,  than  we  can  receive  in  an 
age  from  France — the  trident  of  the  ocean  continuing  with 
its  present  possessor.  We  can  account  for  their  conduct 
upon  no  other  principle  but  this,  that  they  have  persuad* 
ed  themselves  that  England  is  now  making  her  last  ex* 
piring  efforts,  and  must  soon  fall  and  be  lost  in  the  gene* 
ral  wreck  and  rubbish  of  the  other  governments  of  Eu- 
rope. Under  this  persuasion,  they  wax  bold  in  venting 
their  long  cherished  hatred  of  England  ;  and  think  it 
good  policy  to  placate  the  conqueror  by  crouching  at  his 
feet.  At  an  interview  with  the  minister  of  Austria  pre. 
ceding  the  last  war  with  that  power,  Bonaparte  made  this 
declaration — *♦  I  have  sworn  the  destruction  of  England 
and  I  will  accomplish  it,"  Mr.  Jefferson  has  always 
doubted  of  the  word  of  God  ;  but  as  a  proof  of  his  full 
faith  in  the  word  of  Bonaparte,  on  the  eighteenth  day  of 
December  1807  he  said  in  a  public  company,  that  Brit. 

AIN  WOULD  CEASE    TO   BE  A  NATION  IN  LESS  THAN 

TWO  YEARS.  In  such  positive  language  men  are  not 
accustomed  to  predict  events  unpleasant  to  their  feelings. 
Instead  of  contemplating  the  accomplishment  of  this  pre- 
diction  with  the  horror  which  all  wise  and  good  men 
must  feel  at  the  bare  apprehension  of  it ;  Mr.  Jefferson, 
his  cabinet,  and  whole  party  at  the  southward,  seem  tohavc 
anticipated  it  with  joy  and  exultation.  It  has  been  often 
reported  that  the  victories  of  Bonaparte  are  celebrated  at 
Washington  with  as  much  eclat  as  at  Paris.  You  would 
|iot  doubt  of  the  truth  of  these  reports,  were  you  to  read 
the  government  paper  printed  in  that  city.  In  all  coun- 
tries, the  pajier  under  the  patronage  of  the  chief  rulers,  is 
supposed  to  echo  their  sentiments,  feelings  and  views. 


%  .A* 


m 


2d 

I  ther^ore  ask  your  attention  to  the  following  extract  from 
such  a  paper  printed  at  Washington :  **  Austria  is  anni- 
hilated, forever  subjugated  beneath  the  dominion  of 
France.  We  sincerely  rejoice,  not  only  because  she  cfer- 
Mf  to  oppose  France  ;  but  because  she  is  now,  and  long 
has  been,  an  ally  of  ^nYam,  by  whose  speedy  destruction 
ahne  can  the  world  find  repose,  and  the  United  States  in 
particular  gain  wealth  and  power.  Britain,  the  grand  cor- 
rapter  of  the  world,  the  common  robb:::r,  the  tyrant  of  the 
ocean,  the  dastardly  plunderer  of  defenceless  nations ; — 
Britain,  whose  speedy  and  inevitable  destruction  is  now 
laid  open  to  the  arms  of  the  sagacious  conqueror ;  of  Na- 
polean,  who  has  always  treated  these  United  Spates  with 
the  nK>st  perfect  friendliness  and  magnanimity. "  You  will 
mark  these  last  words,  "  the  most  perfect  friendliness  and 
magnanimity  /"  The  whole  needs  no  comment,  and  can- 
not be  more  explicit.  But  are  these  the  sentiments  and 
feelings  of  a  neutral  government  ?  In  adulation  of  die  ty- 
rant and  in  hostility  against  the  English,  they  never  were 
nor  can  be  exceeded  in  any  publication  at  Paris.  Will 
it  still  be  said  that  there  is  no  French  influence,  no  parti- 
ality for  France  at  Washington  ? 

My  brethren,  as  we  are  republicans,  and  at  this  junc- 
ture, the  only  republican  people  in  the  world;  does  it  not 
belong  to  our  character,  might  it  not  be  expected  from  us 
rather  than  from  any  other  country,  that  we  should  exert 
ourselves  in  the  cause  of  general  liberty  by  sympathizing 
with  oppressed  communities,  by  pleading  the  rights  of 
suifering  humanity,  by  declaiming  against  all  unjust  wars 
undertaken  by  ambition,  or  by  a  thirst  for  plunder ;  and 
by  bearing  our  indignant  testimony  against  every  act  of 
ruffian  violence,  every  form  of  arbitrary  power,  every  in- 
vasion  of  the  rights  of  independent  nations  ?  If  partiality 


.'i*. 


.d   M 


W\ 


.It 


30 

is  to  be  shown  upon  any  side,  should  it  not  be  on  the  side 
of  the  cases  now  described  ? 

Permit  me  to  bring  before  you  the  case  of  the  Span, 
ish  patriots.  You  are  sensible  that  all  the  forces  of  their 
country  and  all  its  revenues  were  at  the  devotion  of  France 
from  the  year  1795  to  the  year  1808.  Whatever  France 
asked,  Spain  readily  gave  :  No  matter  of  complaint  or 
controversy  subsisted.  The  one  commanded — the  other 
submissively  obeyed. — All  this  did  not  satisfy  the  ruler 
of  France.  He  coveted  the  Spanish  throne  for  one  of  his 
family,  and  the  treasures  hoarded  in  their  churches  and  in 
the  coffers  of  their  nobility,  to  be  distributed  among  his 
myrmidons.  For  the  attainment  of  these  objects,  this 
bold,  cunning,  unrelenting  conqueror  planned  the  subju- 
gation  and  pillage  of  Spain.  His  intriguers,  as  so  many 
pioneers,  were  sent  forward  to  prepare  the  way  ;  or  rath- 
er,  they  were  already  upon  the  ground.  For  they  are 
planted  in  every  country,  our  own  not  excepted,  *♦  Inac- 
cessible as  we  are  at  this  moment  to  any  other  mode  of 
aggression,  this  engine  of  subjection  is  urged  against  us 
with  redoubled  force  and  adroitness.  These  agents  nev* 
er  loiter  in  the  discharge  of  their  functions,  or  sleep  upon 
their  watch.  No  means  or  instruments,  however  con- 
temptible in  appearance,  are  neglected  in  the  prosecution 
of  their  plans." 

In  Spain  they  spread  themselves  eveiy  where  and  min- 
gled with  all  the  grades  of  society,  putting  their  various 
and  complicated  arts  and  wiles  in  operation  ;  at  one  time, 
flattering  promises ;  at  another,  ambiguous  threatenings ; 
alternately  advancing  or  retreating,  as  circumstances 
seemed  to  require ;  now  coming  forward  with  bare-faced 
unblushing  falsehoods  ;  and  anon,  using  open  violence. 
"  Like  the  lion  hunters  of  old,  Bonaparte  drew  his  vie, 


le  side 

Span* 

)f  their 

France 

France 

laintor 

le  other 

le  ruler 

le  of  his 

sand  in 

ong  his 

cts,  this 

e  subju. 

,0  many 

or  rath- 

they  are 
*♦  Inac- 
ode  of 
inst  us 

nts  nev- 

ep  upon 
er  con- 
cution 

id  min- 
1  various 
le  time, 
^nings ; 
istances 
[•e-faced 
tolence. 
his  vie, 


31 

tims  oil  in  the  cdufse  which  he  had  prepared  for  them,  by 
cajoling  and  by  irritation  ;  by  soothing  their  appetites 
and  exciting  their  spirits,  till  at  last,  by  trick  and  by  open 
violence,  the  royal  beasts  were  driven  into  his  toils,  and 
placed  completely  at  the  disposal  of  their  stern  and  artful 
pursuer."  In  the  mean  while  he  had,  under  various  pre- 
texts and  the  most  specious  delusions,  introduced  his  le- 
gions into  the  heart  of  the  country — its  own  soldiers  hav- 
ing been  previously  withdrawn  into  foreign  and  far  dis- 
tant regions.  Thus  he  gained  peaceable  possession  of 
the  strong  holds,  fortified  cities,  docks,  arsenals,  maga- 
zines, and  all  the  treasures  of  the  country.  Having  com- 
pletely laid  the  snare,  finished  the  plot  in  all  its  parts,  he 
threw  off  the  mask  and  openly  avowed  his  perfidy. 

The  whole  nation  awoke  as  from  a  dream,  thunder- 
struck and  astonished.  They  rent  the  heavens  with  their 
cries.  Fury  and  despair  prompted  them  to  fight  even 
without  arms.  They  proclaimed  their  wrongs  to  the  uni- 
verse. They  called  upon  every  people  and  nation  for  aid* 
They  even  crossed  the  Atlantic  and,  knowing  that  these 
United  States  had  once  been  in  similar  circumstances  of 
distress,  they  came  knocking  at  our  doors,  crying  for  help 
against  their  most  insidious,  cruel  and  ferocious  oppres- 
sor.— In  what  manner  did  our  government  receive  them  ? 
Blush,  O  ye  heavens,  at  the  tale !  So  powerful,  not  to  say, 
infernal,  is  the  French  influence  among  us,  that  our  true 
republicans,  so  fai'  from  sympathizing  with  this  oppressed 
people,  seemed  rather  to  congratulate  the  success  of  their 
invader,  and  turning  a  deaf  ear  to  the  cries  of  his  victims, 
frowned  upon  their  agonizing  efforts.  All  honorable  men 
wished  the  nation  to  express  some  sense  of  their  injuries, 
some  feeling  for  their  sufferings ;  but  when  they  address- 
ed the  chief  magistrate  upon  the  subject,  Mr.  Jefferson 


'1.. 


[■:1t 


.■•I 


I'll  '''I  ', 


38 

<f  coldly  and  barbarously  replied,  that  thb  contest  im 
Spain  was  a  mere  struggle  for  power.  Thus 
placing  upon  equal  ground  the  generous  exertions  of  a 
free  people  to  throw  off  tlie  yoke  of  a  foreign  tyrant,  and 
the  most  shameful  example  of  perfidy  and  unprincipled 
force  wliich  the  world  had  ever  witnessed." 

But,  my  hearers,  for  a  more  full  disclosure  of  the  seiu 
timents  and  feelings  of  our  cabinet  towards  the  British 
nation,  as  well  as  towards  the  Spanish  patriots,  I  must  ask 
your  attention  to  another  extract  from  their  paper,  writ, 
ten,  not  improbably,  by  some  or  other  of  themselves :  It 
is  thus  addressed  to  us  all :  "  Citizens  of  the  United 
States,  free  and  independent,  virtuous  and  enlightened  re- 
publicans,  be  not  dec  ived  ;  listen  not  to  accounts  from 
England,  the  grand  arsenal  in  which  lies  are  forged  for 
universal  diffusion  over  the  whole  earth,  resjiecting  Spain: 
the  cowardly  Spaniards  are  bribed  by  that  whore  of  Bab. 
ylon,  England,  who  has  made  all  the  nations  of  the  world 
drunk  with  her  abominations.,  her  fasts,  her  blasphemies, 
her  murders,  her  piracies,  her  impieties,  her  cowardly  mo« 
nopolies ;  the  h2is^,frauduknt  Spaniards,  I  say,  are  brib- 
ed by  England  to  resist  the  ^Sgnx^/domination  of  the  migh- 1 
ty  Napolean,  whose  whole  life  and  actions  have  been  di. 
rected  to  «\meiiorate  the  condition  of  suffering  humanity,  I 
to  break  the  fetters  of  feudal  despotism,  and  to  enable  the 
natural  energies  of  man  once  more  to  walk  abroad,  and  I 
to  render  perfect  in  happiness  the  whole  federal  com.  | 
monwealth  of  nations." 

"But  the  vagabond  banditti,  Spaniards,  corrupted  I 
by  the  gold  and  the  false  promises  of  Britain,  resist  in 
vain ;  Napolean  by  the  chastening  corrective  of  war ^  will 
soon  subdue  the  whole  peninsula,  and  purify  its  every 
comer  by  the  presence  of  his  numerous  and  invincible 


legions.  Then  Mrill  he  quickly  turn  upon  the  British 
Isles,  an  J  with  one  irresistible  invasion  annihilate  their 
existence  forever,  and  scatter  all  their  inhabitants  as  out- 
casts and  vagabonds. — Britain  is  now  destined  to  imme- 
diate and  richly  merited  vengeance  and  extermination." 

**  Is  there  an  ^^j^  democrat — b  theie  one  real,  gen- 
uine, pure  republican,  whose  bosom  does  not  beat  high 
with  exultation  at  the  unparalleled  successes  of  France, 
and  the  approaching  inevitable  destruction  of  the  whole 
British  nation  ?" 

My  hearers,  till  I  met  with  this  publication,  I  could 
not  have  conceived  that  there  was  any  comer  of  the  civ- 
ilized worid  where  such  sentiments  would  have  been 
broached.  That  they  should  have  been  written  by  repub- 
licans—-that  they  should  have  issued  from  a  city  bearing 
the  name  of  Washington,  a  name  ^^sociated  with  what- 
ever is  honest,  just,  true,  humane,  Locral,  generous,  no- 
ble, vutuous  and  praise-worthy ^s  a  most  melancholy 
proof  that  beings  more  malignant  and  infernal  inhabit  that 
ci^  now,  than  were  those  who  dwelt  in  the  cities  of  Sod- 
om and  Gomorrah  of  old.  If  JeiFerson,  Giles,  and  com- 
pany— if  the  true  republicans  of  Virginia  and  the  south- 
em  states,  be  men  of  such  sentiments  and  affections ;  I 
have  so  much  charity  for  those  bearing  the  same  name  in 
New  England,  as  fully  to  believe  that,  did  they  know  the 
Fcal  character  of  these  their  southern  brethren,  they  would 
detest  them  as  heartily  as  did  the  late  Hon.  Fisher  Ames, 
who  knew  them  well. 

As  a  proof  that  the  practice  of  these  true  republicans 
at  the  southward,  corresponds  with  their  principles,  I  will 
king  to  your  recollection  a  notorious  fact  published,  not 
perhaps  in  the  Independent  Chronicle  and  Patriot  of  BoS' 
ton,  but  in  all  the  federal  papers,  the  truth  of  which  fact  I 


^ 

V 

n 

V 

^^^H 

\  rf 


Ul 


m 


■r . 


I" 


34 

have  however  learnt  from  a  source  still  more  authentic* 
During  the  course  of  the  last  year  a  poor  man  at  Baltimore 
said  upon  some  occasion^ "  that  he  hoped  Bonaparte  would 
never  be  able  to  conquer  and  enslave  England."      This 
being  heard  by  the  honest  democrats  of  that  city,  they 
collected  about  him,  stript  him  naked,  covered  him  with 
tar  and  feathers,  and  tore  out  one  of  his  eyes.     Eight  of 
these  rioters  were  afterward  indicted.     "  During  their 
trial,  the  mob  surrounded  the  court  house,  and  threaten, 
cd  to  murder  the  lawyers,  judges  and  jury,  if  their  broth- 
er patriots  were  not  immediately  acquitted. — The  priso- 
ners  however  were  found  guilty,  and  condemned  to  pay 
a  paltry  fine,  and  be  imprisoned  a  few  months."     Mr, 
Wright,  the  governor  of  that  State,  a  gentleman  who  has 
heretofore  been  distinguished  in  Congress  for  his  true  re- 
publicanism— in  conformity  to  the  example  of  his  ad- 
mired  friend  Mr.  Jefferson,  in  pardoning  a  man  convicted 
of  forgery,  reversing  the  sentence  of  the  law  against  Cal- 
fender  and  remitting  to  him  his  fine  after  it  had  become 
the  property  of  the  nation,  and  in  arbitrarily  and  illegally 
stopping  the  prosecution  ordered  by  the  Senate  o;    he 
United  States  against  the  infamous  Duane  ; — Governor 
Wright,  treading  in  these  steps  of  President  Jefferson, 
pardoned  those  eight  jacobin  butchers,  remitting  their 
fines  and  discharging  them  from  prison,  that  they  might 
continue  their  useful  operations  in  the  cause  of  liberty. 
This  motive  for  his  conduct  he  openly  avowed  and  pub- 
lished in  the  newspapers,  observing,  "  That  he  did  not, 
in  the  present  critical  state  of  the  world,  deem  it  expedi- 
ent to  check  the  generous  enthusiasm  of  the  people  of 
Marylandfin  favor  of  liberty." — You  will  observe  that 
the  liberty  here  meant  by  Governor  Wright,  conoists  in 
wishing  iixxx^  France  may  conquer  and  ensicwe  England, 


98 

Thus  neutral  are  our  rulers,  thus  impartial  towards  the 
belligerents,  thus  free  from  all  French  influence  ! 

Conquer  and  enslave  England!  What  can  these  ma- 
niacs, not  to  call  them  fiends,  mean  by  thus  breathing  the 
spirit  of  the  mvager  of  Eurojie  ?  In  one  of  those  quota- 
tions from  the  cabinet  j>aper  at  Washington  just  recited, 
you  may  remember,  were  these  words,  "  by  whose  speedy 
destruction  alone  (meaning  that  of  Biitain)  can  these  U- 
nited  States  gain  wealth  and  power."  Do  our  true  re- 
publicans then,  expect  to  share  with  the  conqueror,  the 
plunder  of  that  kingdom  ?  Aaron  Burr  who,  a  few  years 
since  was,  in  their  esteem,  the  second  best  man  in  the  U- 
nited  States,  now  a  wanderer  in  Europe  and  not  unlikely 
to  fall  into  the  ranks  of  Bonaparte ;  should  he  be  in  at 
ih',;  death  of  the  British  lion,  may  perhaps  obtain  his  part 
in  the  spoil ;  but  for  the  rest  of  Bonaparte's  friends  at 
Washington,  whatever  promises  he  may  have  made  them, 
the  probability  is  that,  in  those  promises  they  will  real- 
ize Gallic  faith.  Seriously  their  expectations  upon  this 
score,  cannot  be  very  sanguine.  We  must  oearch  deep- 
er for  their  motives. 

The  British  are  a  great  mercantile  nation.  Above 
all  the  other  occupations  and  pursuits  of  men,  a  great  and 
extended  commerce  spR^ads  and  circulates  general  infor- 
mation, generates  habits  of  liberal  and  useful  research, 
creates  a  love  of  industry  and  of  the  arts  of  peace,  fortifies 
the  moral  virtues  of  truth,  justice  and  good  faith ;  pro- 
duces a  spirit  of  independence  and  the  love  of  liberty  ; 
gives  a  latitude  to  the  discussions  of  men,  and  furnishes 
them  with  the  means  and  opportunities  of  comparison  ; 
renders  them  averse  to  violence  and  rapine,  jealous  of 
their  natural  and  civil  rights,  and  indignant  at  every  spe- 
cies of  oppression.    All  these  effects  of  commerce  bear 


I.     .    :i 


N 


36 


hard  upon  the  personal  character  of  Bonaparte,  and  in 
their  nature  and  tendency,  are  calculated  to  undermine 
the  very  foundations  of  his  power,  of  both  his  domestic 
and  foreign  despotism.  For  these  reasons,  commerce  is 
the  object  of  his  utmost  hatred.  To  a  deputation  of  mer. 
chants  at  Hamburgh  some  years  since,  he  said,  "  I  detest 
commerce  and  all  its  concerns."*  To  his  own  subjects 
he  has  often  repeated  the  same  language.  To  a  petition 
of  the  Bordeaux  merchants  in  the  year  1808,  this  was  his 
reply,  **  that  it  was  the  emperor's  will  not  to  have  any 
commerce,  but  to  restore  Europe  to  the  condition  of  the 
fourth  century." 

We  cannot  much  wonder  if  the  motives  by  which  Bo- 
naparte  is  influenced,  have  some  weight  with  the  slave  hoi- 
ders  and  slave  drivers  in  our  southern  states,  and  lead 
them,  in  a  degree,  to  coalesce  with  him  in  the  hatred  of 
commerce.  But  neither  he  nor  they  can  hope  for  its  ex. 
tirpation  while  England  continues  to  exhibit  to  the  rest 
of  t!ie  world,  such  an  alluring  example  of  its  advantages. 
"^I  Bonaparte  thought  himself  not  safe  while  any  of  the 
ii^embers  of  the  houfie  of  Bourbon  sat  upon  a  throne  in 
Europe,  he  has  infinitely  more  to  dread  from  the  com- 

*  This  it  precisely  what  might  be  expected  from  the  first  bom  son  of  tha 
malignant  author  of.  all  evil :  It  is  perfectly  in  character  for  him  to  wish  the 
nations  of  the  world,  to  exercise,  in  tlic  accurate  language  of  President  Mad' 
ison,  their  *'  restrictive  energies"  in  standing  aloof  from  one  another,  having  no 
intercourse  either  by  land  or  water ;  and  never  visiting  only  as  Bonaparte 
does,  for  the  pui'poses  of  violence  and  rapine.  But,  to  tlie  ima^nation  of  the 
christian  or  the  philanthropist,  no  idea  can  be  more  delightful,  than  that  of 
men  dispersed  over  the  fape  of  the  whole  earth  and  inhabiting  all  its  differ- 
*nt  re^ons,  carrying  on  a  friendly  intercourse  with  one  another,  recipro- 
cally accommodating  each  other  witlt  whatever  is  peculiar  to  their  respec. 
tive  climates,  geniuses,  arts,  and  invention.  When  all  the  tribes  of  the 
earth  shall  be  thus  employed,  thus  mutually  benefitting  each  otiier— we  may 
believe  that  their  common  Father  in  heaven,  will  look  down  upon  them  with 
f  deg^e  of  that  complacency  which  his  coiuitenance  begins  upon  i^p  va^^ 
riads  of  happy  beings  in  the  world  above. 


most  succ( 


37 


i-t. 


merce  of  such  a  nation  as  the  British,  accompanied,  as  it 
is,  with  the  highest  improvements  in  knowledge  and  in 
liberty.  Hence  he  has  vowed  thetr  destruciii^u  ;  and  by 
his  intrigues  universally  extended,  has  brought  his  friends 
in  this,  and  in  every  other  country,  lo  favor  his  design* 
Many,  no  doubt,  in  all  the  neighhom  ing  countries,  envy 
the  astonishing  prosperity  of  Briu.\in  ;  but  envy  is  a  pas- 
sion of  demons,  wholly  unfounded  in  nature  and  rcaiion. 
The  late  Hon.  Thomas  Russell  was  for  some  years,  the 
most  successful  and  eminent  mercliant  in  our  neij^hbour- 
ing  capital.  Bad  men  might  envy  him,  but  all  good  men 
esteemed  him  an  honor  and  a  blessing  to  his  country,  the 
extent  of  his  business  furnishing  employment  to  numbers; 
its  profits,  in  one  way  and  another,  benefitting  yet  greater 
numbers ;  and  his  skill  and  industry  holding  fordi  an  ex- 
ample to  all,  exciting  emulation  and  encouraging  enter- 
prise. What  such  an  individual  is  to  his  town  and  coun- 
try, a  nation  highly  commercial  above  others,  is  to  the 
neighbouring  nations  and  to  the  whole  world.  Her  com-^ 
mercial  prosperity,  so  far  from  injuring  any,  benefits  all. 
Great  Britain  is  at  this  moment,  the  main  spring  of  motion 
to  the  great  mercantile  machine,  the  whole  trading  oecon- 
omy  of  the  world.  Were  slie  destroyed,  more  than  lialf 
the  commerce  of  this  country  would  perish  with  her,  and 
all  our  privileges  and  happiness  would  soon  be  buried  in 
her  tomb.  Even  France  herself  would  suffer  incalculable 
damage,  and  "  the  aggregate  of  the  whole  world's  wealtli, 
industry,  spirit,  enterprise,  intelligence,  morality,  religion 
and  every  thing  which  conduces  to  man's  happiness,  would 
be  dreadfully  diminished."  A  most  frightful  void,  a  hor- 
rible chasm  would  be  made  in  the  great  fund  of  human 
excellence  and  happiness. 

Pur^ng  the  Igst  seventeen  years,  though  engaged  in  a 


% 
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most  expensive  war  for  the  preservation  of  the  order  and 
civilization  of  the  world,  Britain  has  expended  annually 
more  than  twelve  nn  ill  ions  of  pounds  sterling  in  feeding 
clothing,  and  instructing  the  poor.     Nor  have  her  bene- 
factions and  charities  been  confined  to  her  own  subjects. 
They  have  been  extended  in  a  rich  profusion,  to  thousands 
of  French  fugitives,  and  occasionally  spread  among  the 
various  nations  of  Italy,  Germany,  and  Spain,  suffering 
under  the  ravages  of  war.     During  this  period  too,  she 
has  abolished  the  shve  trade^  broken  many  of  the  old  yokes 
of  oppression,  and  set  on  foot  numerous  plans  for  ex  it  nd- 
ing  the  blessings  of  civilization  and  true  religion  among 
barbarous  and  pagan  nations  dwelling  in  all  quarters  of 
the  globe.    Societies  for  these  purposes,  have  been  form- 
ed over  the  whole  British  empire,  humane,  missionar)'  and 
bible  societies,  more  than  I  can  enumerate.      Immense 
sums  have  been  expended  in  sending  the  Bible  into  cot- 
tages  and  prisons,  among  seamen  and  soldiers,  to  all  de. 
scriptions  of  the  lower  classes  of  people.     They  have  al- 
so  made  editions  of  it  in  all  the  languages  of  Europe  and 
dispersed  it  in  every  country.     They  are  now  translating 
it  into  the  various  languages  of  Asia  and  Africa,  and  send- 
ingthis  heavenly  light  intoall  the  dark  regions  of  the  globe. 
While  England  has  been  bringing  forth  these  fruits  of 
righteousness  for  the  general  benefit  of  the  human  race, 
some  late  accounts  from  tiiat  country  state,  that  a  spirit  of 
piety  and  morality  has  revived  and  is  now  apparently  flour- 
ishing among  the  various  sects  of  christians  composing  her 
own  subjects.  Episcopalians,  Presbyterians,  Dissenters, 
Baptists  and  Methodists. 

The  Lmd  hlesseth  the  labor  of  the  righteous  and  es- 
tablisheth  the  x>ork  of  their  hands.  They  shall  be  recom- 
pensed in  the  earth.    To  what  extent  the  British  as  a  na- 


39 


■"..r 


tion,  have  entitled  themselves  to  this  blessing,  is  perfect- 
ly known  to  God  only  ;  but  he  has  most  visibly  bestow- 
ed it  upon  them  by  enabling  them  to  stand  erect  and  un- 
dismayed amidst  the  fall  and  ruin  of  all  the  other  nations 
and  kingdoms  around  them.  He  has  also  wonderfully 
prospered  their  industry  and  enterprise,  and  given  them 
whatever  exalts  a  nation,  whatever  contributes  to  its  hon- 
or and  happiness.  A  native  of  our  own  country  lately 
returned  from  exploring  that,  says,  "  there  does  not  ex- 
ist and  never  has  existed  elsewhere  so  beautiful  and  per- 
fect a  model  of  public  and  private  prosperity ;  so  mag- 
nificent and,  at  the  same  time,  so  solid  a  fabric  of  social 
happiness  and  national  grandeur."  He  then  adds,  "  it 
appears  something  not  less  than  impious  to  desirQ  the  ruin 
of  this  people ;  and  when  we  recollect  that  it  is  from  them 
we  derive  the  principal  merit  of  our  own  character,  the 
best  of  oiu*  own  institutions,  the  sources  of  our  highest 
enjoyments  and  the  light  of  freedom  itself — it  is  worse 
than  ingratitude  not  to  sympathize  with  them  in  their 
present  struggle." 

This  however  is  the  people,  whose  destruction  Bona- 
parte has  sworn  and  Jefferson  has  predicted. — "  We 
thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  that 
thou  hast  not  suffered  the  oath  of  the  one  or  the  prophe- 
cy of  the  other,  to  be  accomplished — that  thou  hast  pour- 
ed contempt  upon  the  wrath  of  man,  upon  the  open  hos- 
tility of  France  and  the  secret  covered  grudge  and  malice 
of  the  American  government,  so  over-ruling  the  French 
decrees  and  the  American  embargoes,  devised  on  pur- 
pose for  the  ruin  of  Britain,  as  to  render  them  subservi- 
ent to  the  increase  of  her  revenue  and  the  extension  of 
her  commerce  !" 

Besides  the  measures  and  plots  already  mentioned ; 


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40 


i' 


through  the  influence  and  management  of  our  Ahitophels 
and  Absaloms,  half  the  newspapers  of  this  country,  copy- 
ing  after  that  of  the  government,  of  which  I  have  justl 
given  you  specimens;    have  been,  for  years  past,  con-f 
stantly  filled  with  the  grossest  abuse  of  England,  and 
with  the  most  impudent  unblushing  falsehoods  in  favor 
of  France,  studiously  and  systematically  vindicating  all 
her  measures,  denying  or  excusing  all  her  atrocities ;  | 
while  the  whole  has  been  greedily  swallowed  by  their  I 
deluded  readers,  and  all  better  information  wilfully  and 
obstinately  rejected.     Thus  all  moral  distinctions  have 
been  confounded,  and  darkness  put  for  light  and  light  for 
darkness  in  a  sense  the  most  criminal  and  aggravated!/ 
guilty.     These  things,  as  a  minister  of  religion,  I  sol- 
emnly denounce  as  the  crying  sins  of  the  land,  a  treading 
on  in  the  steps  of  the  Father  of  lies,  the  Accuser  of  the 
brethren,  of  Apollyon  the  destroyer.     These  sins  liave  | 
brought  reproach  and  infamy  upon  the  country  already ; 
and  if  persisted  in,  will  prove  its  ruin,  the  loss,  not  of  its  I 
commerce  only,  but  of  all  its  privileges  and  happiness. 
They  are  a  manifest  siding  with  the  great  adversary  of 
God  and  man.    The  strong  prepossessions  of  so  great  a 
proportion  of  my  fellow-citizens  in  fyvof  of  a  race  of  de> 
mous  and  against  a  nation  of  more  rdi^on,  virtue,  good 
faith,  generosity,  and^beneficence,  than  any  other  that 
now  is  or  ever  has  beejft  upon  the  face  of  the  earth,  wring 
my  soul  with  anguish  and  fill  my  heart  with  apprehen. 
sion  and  terror  of  tiK  judgments  of  Heaven  upcm  tlus  sin* 
ful  people. 


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